Bend and Snap
by Smile4Me
Summary: Or, how Nishikata saved Takagi from herself.


Bend and Snap

Or, the way Nishikata saved Takagi from herself.

 _Bend - Nishkata's wedding letter._

Dear Takagi-san, (soon to be Nishkata! In a few hours. Yep. Haha.)

They always say that the husband steals his wife's heart, so the wife steals the husband's last name. But to be honest, I'm not sure if I've really stolen your heart.

I don't mean that to sound like "oh, you don't love me." But the more I've gotten to know you the more I know nothing and no one can quench that beautiful, feisty spirit you have. The one that drives me nuts and yet love so dearly.

In a way, you stealing my heart was...a process, too. I've often wondered, after all these years, how my frustration at our antics turned into love for you.

I've never hated you, but I never particularly liked you either, in the way that I would want to date you, much less marry you. It was the concept of you and what you revolved around that drove me crazy - your pranks, your teasing, your mockery at the expense of myself to you and others…yeah. It seemed impossible.

How did I fall for you? Perhaps it was seeing you with hair tied up in high school, no longer falling around your shoulders loosely. (It made you look like a shaggy lion! Hah!)

Or maybe it was the enticing scent of cherry blossoms that lingered around me whenever you walked past, the extra accessory you wore in your hair, the special way you curved your smile that made me hope that expression was especially reserved for me. And it always, always softened the blow when you played a prank.

But much more than that...it was simply because I found it lonely when we parted ways in high school. (And you went to the very dream school I was aiming for!) Suddenly the silence I had always longed for seemed monotonous and dreary. There was no one to look out for in class, nothing much to occupy my mind besides studies and the occasional computer game. I suddenly realised those years, though painful to my ego, were years filled with laughter and...fun. I was glad I transferred after 6 months to the same school, and even the same class as you. Though it was a little irksome that you didn't bat an eyelash when I arrived and simply pulled a welcome prank on me.

I never dreamt I would tell anyone this before, much less you, but every day in middle school I would do push ups based on the number of times you teased me. Yup. 1 per each time. Now you know why the number of pushups I do everyday varies. And you know why I'm fit.

You'll probably tease me about it, but I'm risking it to show you how much you've meant to me and how much you've changed me. I never really thought about girls and dating and relationships all through my schooling years - everything I knew was piecemeal based on gossip my guy friends told me and the absurd advice issued in manga and tv. I thought love was me trying to be a cool guy, eventually managing to attract a decent girl (probably not hot because, you know, I'm just me), settling down and living a normal life.

But you came and shook up my world even at the young age of 13. Forget trying to show my cool and manly side - you uncovered every weakness I had and attacked it without mercy. And yet, you showed love, care and attention to an awkward, gangly teen boy trying to find his place in the world.

You reminded me to be myself.

I can't wait to hold you, kiss you and make you mine (try not to tease me too much then, yeah? There's enough a man can take). But most importantly, I want to remind you on this day of all days that I will love and cherish you the rest of my life.

Here's to more memories together, pranks or otherwise.

Nishkata

-0-0-0-

 _Snap - Takagi's wedding letter._

My darling Nishkata-kun,

Do you remember our very first date? You took me out to Itami River, attempted to set up a nice place near the riverbank, lost your footing, fed the fish half our lunch, and (plus, you lost your phone and house keys on the same day!)

Okay, but the main point of this letter isn't to tease you:) I know I have a terrible tendency to perpetually tear down your self-esteem, but I hope to make it up for you in future as Mrs Nishkata:)

I bring up this incident because of something you said. I had made coffee for the two of us (laden with sugar the way you like it!) and you gamely gulped it down when I claimed there wasn't any cola (there was, back in the car). When I curiously asked you if you liked it, you replied, "yeah, there's a sort of sweetness hidden within its bitterness."

That's what our friendship - now relationship - is. A sweetness hidden in bitterness. You may have been endlessly irritated and infuriated by my persistent tricks and taunts, but you patiently endured them and myself. You chose to care for a 13-year-old junior high girl all through middle school and after we met again. People assume that, as the extroverted type, I wowed you with my charms and managed to twirl you around my little finger.

You've probably forgotten all about it now, but there's another part to the story.

After those years of bantering in middle school, both of us separated to different high schools, right?

High school was...hard. So hard. I didn't have any girlfriends even from middle school - my time was mostly spent just hanging out with you during lessons and even all through summer. It was impossible to mingle with the girls in my class. Makeup, hair and fashion? Bleurgh! And I couldn't get close to the guys without being endlessly teased - boundaries just weren't as strong in middle school.

In the 6 months of school without you, Nishkata-kun, I barely spoke in class. I didn't hang out with anyone during break times. And I walked to and fro school by myself. My bubbly self faded into the background and I knew I was losing touch with myself. There were nights I cried myself to sleep.

But then you arrived! Sounds cheesy but you were the oasis in the desert I was sub-surviving in. I pulled myself back together. I started talking to people you mingled with, started raising my hand in class and joining class events. And of course, pulled the occasional prank on you.

Thank you, Nishkata-kun, for saving me from myself. I can't bring myself to describe how much you mattered to me then, and how much you matter to me now. I just hope I spend the rest of my life showing you.

Here's to many more pranks and to being together - both knit by love.

Takagi

 _The next morning, the pair met each other in the lobby, snatching a few moments just before they were each whisked away by their respective entourage to prepare for the grand receptacle that followed. They eyed one another wordlessly, before running into each other's arms. They held each other tight and would not let go._


End file.
